This invention relates to chainrings for bicycles.
Chainrings of standard bicycle drivetrains are most often made of steel or aluminum. Standard chainrings have a plurality of teeth disposed about the periphery thereof, all of which fit within the space defined by the link plates of an inner link of a standard bicycle roller chain. While some bicycle chainrings have used other materials, such as plastic or relatively exotic materials, these rings have not enjoyed commercial success due to inadequate performance properties or cost. Standard bicycle chainrings are also known that are plated and/or anodized in an attempt to improve wear performance and/or enhance the visual appearance of the chainrings. However, the material added to the chainrings is very thin—on the order of about 1-20 microns. Despite these beneficial modifications, plated or anodized chainrings do not typically provide a significant improvement in wear performance and may become deficient in appearance in a short period of time.